Clutch



Jan. l, 1946.

.|. D CH C TCH Filed Aug. 1945 2 sheeb heet 2 Patented Jan. I, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENTOFF-ICE Appli:a :z i rnll g: s z fSIZ,ZZZENTZ9ZQ7E 1 Claim. (C1.

- iThe* present invention comprises an improved constructiom of c1utch unit of the interna1 or expandlng band type.

A primary object of the invention has been 120 provide nove1 adjusting means for the clutch band for lengthening the same 130 take up wear. Said adjusting means has been designed with a particular view to affording provisions for quick accessibility to the adjusting parts and for enabling the adjusting to be effected speedily when the said adjustment is required to be made.

A further object of the invention has been to provide certain nove1 equalizing means carried by the c1utch spider for transmitting the thrust of the operating toggles to the live end of the clutch band through a special equalizing bar carried by the spider member of the clutch, thereby to perfectly balance the action of the band in its application 120 the clutch drum wiI-hin which it operates.

The invention involves other nove1 detail features of construction that will appear more fully as this description proceeds and may be ful1y understood in connection with the accompanying specification together with the annexed drawings, inWhich- Figure 1 is a, side elevational view of a c1utch embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view.

Figure 3 is a plan view o1 the serrated adjusting link for adjusting the length of the band.

Figure 4 is a side view of said adjusting link.

The clutch unit of my invention comprises certain conventional parts common in internal expanding clutches of the type to which my invention re1ates, including primarily the clutch drum I to which the drive of the shaft 2 is to be communicated, an internal clutch band 3, and. a spider member 4 carrying certain of the c1utch ac'ouating parts.

011 the hub 5 of the spider 4, Which hub is keyed as at 6 to the shaft 2, is carried the s1ide yoke I movable longitudinally of the hub inwardly and outwardly relatively to the spider 4 as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. Engaged with the s1ide or actuating yoke 1 are suitable toggles 8 connected by pivot pins 9 as usual, and having socket heads II) at their outer ends. One of the toggles 8 has its socket head III fitting in a socket II on the dead lever I2 which is pivoted between its ends at I3 on an arm of the spider 4. The dead 1ever I2 is connected pivotally at I4 with an equalizing bar or 1ink I5 whichin turn is counected pivotally at I6 to the live er push lever I'I.

The other of the toggles a has its socket head fitted in a socket I8 011 the 1ong arm of theve lever I'I intermediate the point 017 pivotal support 01 said 1ever on a trunniox1 I9 carr1ed by the spider 4, and the pivotal point; I8 previously referred to.

The clutch band 3 is equipped with the dead end 20 interlocked a1; 20a by a 1ug fitting in a recess 2I formed in a peripheral portion of the spider 4. The live end of the band 3 gemrally designated 22 is provided with a fixed serrated adjusting p1ate 23, the teeth or serrations 013 which are adapted to interengage teeth or serrations on the adjusting link 24. which adjustin 1ink is pivotally connected at 25 to the live 1evers I'I.

For attaching the link 24 to the adjusting plate 23 there is provided a stud 26 projecting from the platze 23 through an elongated opening or sich 21 in the body portion of the adjusting link 24. A suitable nut 28 adapted to be screwed upon the stud 28 is designed 1:0 clamp the parts 24 and 23 together with their teeth interlocked.

The '101eg0ing describes tne general construction of my clutch mechanism though it is notable that spider arms 29 extend from the spider and are equipped with adjustable or sei: screws 30 cooperative with the band 3 internally thereof prevent buckling of the latter.

It will be seen that the operation of the clutch is simple in that by movement of the clutch yoke I under the actuation 0f a suitable c1utch lever engaged therewith, but not shown, said yoke may be moved toward the spider 4 thereby pushin outwardly on the toggles 8. This action ca1.iseS a rocking of the dead lever I2 and transmitting of the rhovement of said lever through the equalizing bar or link I5 to the outer end of the 1ong arm of the outer lever I1, tending to rock said 1ever I'I for shifting of the pivot 25, seen in Figure 1, 1:0 the left, thereby to expand and apply the brake band 3 to the drum I. As the toggle 8 cooperating with the lever I2 performs the above function, the other toggle 8 directly cooperating with the lever I'I will push on the lever I'I similarly to the push transmitted from the lever I2 for obtaining the same efiective expanding applying action of the brake band 3, the arrangement; cf the parts being such that the thrust of the yoke I is distributed equally to ea.ch 0f the toggles and the energy transmitted 120 the double end lever I2 is couverted to a push action on the live 1ever I'l at the same time as a corresponding action is imparted to the live lever I'l. from its cooperating toggle, the action oi' the clutch being thus perfectly balanced in its working operation.

Whenever it 15 desired to adjust the c1utch band 3 to accommodate for wear thereon, the

said band may be lengthenedby loosening the nut 28 separating the plate 23 from the adjsting 1ink 24 at the toothed portions cf these parts adjusting the paras 23 and 24 to engage their teeth after elongation of the band 3, ancl thereupon replacing the nut 28 for cla.mping the part3 23 and 2iktqgethiar.

Ha.ving thus described my' invention, what I an equalizing bar connecting one end cf the. dead lever t o said live lever, and togg1e means between the clutch yoke and the live lever and j the dea.d lever for simultaneously operating the said levers to directly actua.te the live lever from said clutch yoke and indirectly acutate said live lever from the deadlever through the edualizing bar to distribute the forces transmitted by claim as new and desire to secure by Letztere Patent of the United Staates, is:

In a clutch of theclass describedfin co1'n'-' bination, a clutch drum, anexpanding clutchv band disposed withiu the drum and cooperative therewith,. a, shaft on which .the Jdrum is sup'-' ported, a spider keyed to the shaftand associated with the drum,a lug onona end 0f the and int rlo kn w t .e p r t v m e adead;endgfor; the;baind, a live levenpivoted 'to conneglgegl with' i zhe live end fthe band, a cluizdh yokemovable longitudinally of the sha:ft, a dead lever pivoted interngwdigtg itsends io the s'bider,

the toggle members to the clutch band with balancied efigact, the connecfiion betweenthe live liaver and the live end of the band comprising an outstanding arm extending frm the live -lever, a slotted adjusting 1ink connected withsaid arm, and a detachable and adjusiqable conneconsaidstud.

- JOHN D. RAUCH. 

